Zack Snyder told Variety he wants to make the Rick and Morty movie — Warner Bros. has already given it to Jacob Hair
Zack Snyder hasn’t given up on making a Rick and Morty film — never mind that another take is already quietly bubbling away elsewhere.
Right, here we are again with Zack Snyder trying his hand at another sci-fi universe—but, for once, it’s not superheroes or galactic rebels on his mind. The man who gave us 300, Watchmen, and that whole Batfleck debacle now fancies a go at one of the weirdest franchises out there: Rick and Morty. In his own words, he’s very much up for it, but the question is whether anyone apart from Snyder himself is desperate to see that happen.
I do want to make a Rick and Morty movie. It would be fun.
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That was Snyder telling Variety he’s keen, if ever the chance comes up. The idea of Snyder adapting Rick and Morty first popped up back in 2021, when he admitted on the Film Junkee Vodka Stream that typical comedies don’t really fit his style—dry understatement, there. Still, if he were ever to break his pattern, turning the Adult Swim favourite into a film would be as close as he’d get to an out-and-out comedy. Or at least, his version of one.
What’s Actually Happening?
This isn’t all just wishful thinking. Snyder didn’t just float the idea in interviews—he actually sat down with Dan Harmon, series co-creator, over at Warner Bros. back in 2023. Harmon’s account was that Snyder showed up on the lot, fanboyed a bit, and offered his influence to help get a film adaptation moving, but didn’t demand to be the one calling the shots. Here’s how Harmon told it to The Hollywood Reporter at the time:
Not him saying, ‘I get to do it,’ or anything like that. He was totally a super fan and was just like, ‘Is there any way I can help get that movie started by using my Snyder-ness?’
As it stands, Warner Bros. is indeed working on a Rick and Morty film, but Snyder isn’t attached to it and, frankly, isn’t looking likely to be. Instead, they’ve handed the reins to Jacob Hair, who has experience with the show itself—so at least some continuity from the TV version to the big screen. In case anyone’s forgotten, Rick and Morty has already got a solid track record for cartoon brilliance since it kicked off in December 2013, rolling on to ten series and picking up a rabid following along the way. Snyder even popped up as a guest voice in Series 8’s 'Ricker than Fiction', so it’s not for lack of enthusiasm on his part.
Rick and Morty launched all the way back in December 2013, and by now it’s seen ten full seasons.
Will Snyder Actually Get the Gig?
Fans have plenty to say—and not all of it printable—about whether Snyder’s the person they want anywhere near this franchise. On paper, his track record with cynical, larger-than-life characters could match up with Rick Sanchez and company. But if you’ve seen a Snyder film, you’ll know his affection for gravitas and brooding visuals sits at odds with the scrappy cartoon chaos that is Rick and Morty at its best.
- Snyder pitched his own Star Wars film years back—rejected, then reinvented as Rebel Moon.
- He’s already parted ways with DC, so there’s no comic book attachment keeping him tied up.
- Word online has been fierce, with plenty of debate over whether a live-action film even works for Rick and Morty—in any style, let alone full Snyder.
- His last feature, The Last Photograph, went down like a lead balloon with critics and audiences.
Looking at all that, it seems Warner Bros. will stick with people who know the cartoon inside and out, rather than risking the property on a moody rebrand. Not that Snyder’s ever let a brick wall stop him pitching, but the odds aren’t great here.